The Hall of Famer-turned-analyst said in September that the Knicks’ All-Star combination of Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony was “not going to work.” In April, he told WFAN’s Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton, “The Knicks still stink, dude. They’re not going anywhere (in the playoffs), they’re gonna be one-and-done.”

And last year, as a guest on the “Late Show with David Letterman,” Barkley proclaimed that New York may have “the worst defensive team ever.”

As for the Brooklyn Nets?

“I love what they’ve done in Brooklyn,” Barkley said Tuesday. “I take my hat off to Avery (Johnson) and Billy King. The Brooklyn Nets are the best team in New York.”

On Monday, Lakers star Dwight Howard sent some bad vibes toward MSG when he complained about being snubbed for Defensive Player of the Year, which was awarded instead to the Knicks’ Tyson Chandler.

“I thought I should have won it last year, to be honest with you,” said Howard, according to ESPN.com. “I was a little bit upset about that.”